Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce

Come rain or shine

Even the downpour on Tuesday didn't stop Malaika Arora from hitting the gym in Bandra. That's what it takes for a sizzling bod. Pic/Shadab Khan

This film isn't kidding around

Thane resident Seenivasan Selvaraj's upcoming film focuses on spreading awareness about the issue of paedophilia that's rampant in our country.

Seenivasan Selvaraj

And he's roped in the illustrious Ilaiyaraaja to compose the music for it, while Sreekar Prasad is editing it. Called Meow!, the Hindi and Tamil film was shot in November last year and stars Anant Mahadevan and Priyanka Bose.

Ilaiyaraaja

"News related to child abuse, even with infants, was quite common last year. I collected data and spoke to people regarding this issue. When I found that most of these crimes are committed by family members, it seemed vital to spread awareness about it. Being a filmmaker, I wanted to use my medium to spread this social message. I want people to get involved in this project, and so I chose to go down the crowdfunding route," Selvaraj told this diarist.

A still from the film

The plot revolves around an abusive grandfather who exploits his grandkids, who then attempt to communicate the same to their grandmother.

Booked on YouTube

After constituting the first-ever Bandana Sen Library Award last month, One Up Library, Book Studio and Learning Lab has now launched a YouTube channel. The purpose of the initiative by Dalbir Kaur Madan, the director of the space who has also consulted with various schools in Mumbai, is to share interviews of readers and parents while also addressing queries.

In fact, in the first video, Madan highlights three key strategies a parent can use to raise an avid reader with a concise approach using a chart. And we hope that this inspires libraries in the city to follow suit.

Love in the time of old age

We'd be lying if we said that the artistically shot wedding pictures that crowd our feeds, mushy as they may be, don't set the heart aflutter. But it's interesting to see someone recreating similar, romantic images of old-age couples. UK-based Sujata Setia describes her Instagram profile as "India in London", and the young photographer seems to have caught the fancy of netizens with her dreamy pictures of septuagenarians caught in candid moments of love.

Pic/Sujata Setia/But Natural Photography

Setia recently shared that these images are pre-empted by a lot of cajoling, but once convinced, her subjects can't seem to stop giggling, which helps her capture perfect moments. Originally from Jaipur, Setia spent years in Mumbai working as a radio jockey. It's safe to say that she has finally found her calling.

Goodbye, chef Kelvin

Three weeks ago, chef Kelvin Cheung shared a moving message, sharing the news of his father's sudden demise. And while Cheung's time in India has been filled with happy surprises, it is surprising to learn in an official statement released last night by Bastian Hospitality Private Limited Board — which owns the two popular restaurants Cheung was F&B director at — that they will be letting the chef go. Bastian's director Ranjeet Bindra concluded, "After accompanying Bastian Hospitality for 4 years, Chef Kelvin will be sure to watch the brand grow and flourish from afar."

The letter revealed that Boo Kim, who recently opened Dirty Buns with the same brand, will be stepping into his shoes. We bid Cheung adieu with a heavy heart, for it is unfortunate that a chef who was loved so dearly in this city has to leave at a time when business is moving and that too months after announcing a partnership with actor Shilpa Shetty that had got us all imaging an entirely different future.

A home for all

The mental barriers we have as a society when it comes to accepting "the other", play out at their worst in charters of apartment complexes — and when too politically incorrect, in unsaid rules that govern who gets to reside in them. From no room for non-vegetarians or members of religious minorities, to no entry for unmarried couples or even those with pets, it's uncanny how few fit our idea of a worthy neighbour.

A new campaign, #JudgementalMatBano, by a real estate portal comes as a breath of fresh air. With each creative taking on a specific problem — judging people on the basis of the state they come from, marital status, and sexual orientation — the campaign urges people to welcome single women and all couples in their housing societies. Now, if only they remove all discriminatory posts from their listings will the circle be complete.

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